Read Katherine Culbert’s Republican primary candidate questionnaire for the Texas Railroad Commission.
Note: The USA TODAY Network only edited the response to comply with journalistic standards and did not change any responses.
Current occupation: Process safety engineer for an oil and gas company in Houston, Texas.
Age: 50.
Q: Despite its name, the Railroad Commission primarily regulates oil, gas, and mining. What do you see as the Commission’s most important responsibilities, and what would be your priorities as Commissioner?
A: The Commission’s most important responsibilities are spelled out in its mission statement: to serve Texas by the stewardship of natural resources and the environment, concern for personal and community safety, and support of enhanced development and economic vitality for the benefit of Texans.
I believe every employee of the Railroad Commission, from the Commissioners to the lawyers to the engineers to the field inspectors to the financial analysts to the administrative assistants, needs to understand that mission statement and work every day to uphold it. Every decision that is made at any level within the Commission needs to take into account the communities throughout Texas to protect their safety while supporting a strong economy.
My priorities will be:
Q: Texas is a leading energy producer. How would you balance promoting the oil and gas industry with environmental protection and regulatory oversight?
A: Oil and gas industry activities do not need to be done at the price of environmental protection. Pipelines are the safest and most efficient way of transporting oil and natural gas, however those pipelines need to be constructed and maintained properly. We need regulators who will support the current regulations to build pipelines to code, and we need an experienced inspection group that is familiar with the pipelines they are inspecting.
Many times, regulations are the result of previous incidents, so they are in place to prevent something similar from occurring in the future. When we ignore current regulations, we are refusing to learn from past mistakes. When the Commission looks the other way when a company does not comply with a regulation, they are telling Texans that their safety is not important.
Companies want to be good neighbors, and they want good regulations to follow. We do not need overbearing regulations, however the ones we currently have need to be enforced. That provides a level playing field for all companies to compete fairly and it protects Texas’ natural resources so future generations are able to enjoy the state’s beauty.
Q: Texas’s energy landscape is evolving with alternative energy, traditional oil and gas, and emerging technologies. What is your vision for Texas’s energy future, and what role should the Railroad Commission play?
A: Texas needs all forms of energy generation, and the Railroad Commission should be looking at new technologies and shifting market demands to help Texas have a stable and efficient energy market. Since the 1930s, the Commission set the maximum production rates to prevent the waste of oil and gas resources. The Commission needs to continue to regulate the production of oil and gas to preserve the limited resource.
Limiting the production rates also stabilizes the energy market and allows companies to make a profit and Texans to have affordable energy. The oil and gas industry utilizes different alternative energies in its operations, showing that the industry is not against other forms of energy. The US has become a net exporter of petroleum products, meaning that Texas has to rely on many different forms of energy in order to continue to meet the energy demands here at home and continue to supply the world.
Q: What is your philosophy on regulation? How do you determine when industry needs more oversight versus when regulations should be reduced or streamlined?
A: Regulations are many times enacted in response to something bad happening. If we continue to have catastrophic accidents in the oil and gas industry, that shows that more oversight is needed to keep our workers and our communities safe. Along with regulations to protect Texans, we also need appropriate fines as a deterrent for companies who are found to not be following the regulations.
Companies do want to be good neighbors, however they also will not necessarily do the right thing if given the opportunity to skirt a regulation without consequence. To quote a recent episode of Landman when discussing a questionable oil and gas deal, they indicated “The Railroad Commission may look the other way.”
That is not a good reputation for the Commission to have. We need regulators that will hold companies accountable when they want to do things that have the potential to harm our state.
Q: The Railroad Commission intersects with environmental concerns, including flaring, disposal wells, and injection wells. How would you approach environmental issues within the Commission’s jurisdiction?
A: Environmental issues within the Commission’s jurisdiction need to go back to the mission statement about being stewards of natural resources and the environment and having concern for personal and community safety. Every decision that comes before the Railroad Commission needs to take into account the safety of the community and the stewardship of the environment.
The oil and gas industry is not a new industry. It has plenty of data about its operations and its impacts. The Commission needs to look at that data and make informed decisions based on it. Our communities are paying the price now with increased respiratory issues like asthma and increased cardiovascular and neurological problems, along with increased seismic activity that is threatening homes and the polluted groundwater that is causing an inability to utilize ranches for cattle.
Q: Texas energy production has national and international implications. How would you consider broader energy markets and Texas’s role in national energy security in your decision-making?
A: The US is currently a net energy exporter, with most of that moving through Texas. The oil and gas industry in Texas is therefore very important to the national and international energy markets. It will be imperative in the future to have strong relationships with foreign markets to sell our energy products. National energy security also relies on those relationships with foreign markets since we are a net importer of crude oil to supply domestic demand.
All these factors need to be considered to provide Texans with a reliable and cost-conscious energy market.
Q: The Commission handles numerous technical and legal matters. What experience and expertise would you bring to the role, and how would you approach the learning curve on complex regulatory issues?
A: I am a licensed Professional Engineer who is currently working in the oil and gas industry. I have worked for upstream, midstream, and downstream companies so I have been exposed to many of the technical matters that come before the Commission. With an engineering education and over 25 years of engineering experience, I am confident that I will use good engineering practices to look into any technical matters that come before the Commission to make sure I understand the issues and the impacts to our communities before making decisions.
Additionally, I have a Master of Science in Law with a Regulatory and Compliance concentration, giving me a strong legal base. I understand regulations and how they get created and enforced. Working as a Process Safety Engineer has given me the experience of working in a regulated environment and I have interacted with multiple regulatory agencies throughout my career in response to audits, incidents, and working to improve the regulatory landscape.
The varied issues that come before the Commission may require learning on specific issues, however a technical and legal background are already in place to allow me to hit the ground running.
Mateo Rosiles is a reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and USA TODAY Network in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him: mrosiles@lubbockonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Read about Katherine Culbert’s GOP platforms for Texas Railroad Commission
Reporting by Mateo Rosiles, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
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